Beyond the Present - A Memoir | by Wendy Layne

Originally written as a healing exercise, Beyond the Present is a personal and touching memoir that is sure to connect with those who read it.

"First and foremost you have done a great job capturing your memories and committing them to paper. (This is not an easy feat.) Even though this is a personal narative, you have written it in a way that many will enjoy. Your narrative voice is very familiar and friendly and helps the reader to get involved with your work. It is obvious that you have done your homework and put much thought and preparation into your writing." Manuscript Review Team

veryone has a story but not everyone chooses to share. I've been asked why I chose to tell mine and simply put, because sometimes telling your story helps you to move beyond the place you came from. Looking back on my life, I realize that my childhood was not the norm and there are choices that I make daily that are continually influenced by that upbringing. However, I also realize that I am the person I am today because of that childhood. And if I were given an opportunity to go back and do it all again, I'd have to say I wouldnt' change a thing, unless of course I could end up exactly where I am today. :)

Beyond the Present is merely a fraction of my life story. Sometimes I think I could write a dozen books on my life. There are unlimited topics just waiting to unfold on the blank pages in front of me. I've already started my second book which will be co-authored by my two oldest daughters. The book will be called, "My Story, Your Story" and will be a collection of memories and viewpoints discussed openly and honestly from the parent vs. the child view. Topics will range from heartwarming and funny to the more serious and solemn. I'm looking forward to the finished product but the process of hashing up old memories with my girls is so much fun that I will be sad to see it end.

In talking to other women over the years I have found that so many of them have been through broken relationships or failed marriages and have shared many of the experiences and feelings that I have expressed in my book Beyond the Present. Sometimes it is just nice to know that you are not the only one who has had these feelings. I hope that my readers can connect in some way with the pain that I endured and gather hope from my outcome that no matter how bad life may seem at the present, and no matter how many wrong turns you may make, there is always another door to open and another day beyond the present.